Homicide detectives seize data in Clifton
Friday, July 28, 2000
By DAN KRAUT
and DAVID VOREACOS
Staff Writers
Detectives investigating the slayings last year of two stock promoters in Monmouth County have seized evidence from a Clifton home in their probe of potentially related white-collar crime.
Authorities would not discuss what they took Wednesday night from the Charles Street home of Joe Logan Jr. And they did not explain the relationship of the records to the execution-style killings of Alain A. Chalem and Maier Lehmann.
The pair were killed in Chalem's Colts Neck mansion Oct. 26, and, a source familiar with the case said, Logan was in the home hours before the killings. Logan, who was also involved in the securities business, did not return a reporter's call Thursday. But his lawyer spoke on his behalf.
"My client denies that he's involved in any wrongdoing," said Logan's attorney, Michael Critchley. "From everything I know about this case, he absolutely is not considered a suspect in the homicide."
When asked about the records seized by authorities over six hours, ending 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, FBI Special Agent Sandra Carroll, said, "Obviously, we're involved in the investigation."
She said the bureau is not investigating the homicide, but is probing potential white-collar crimes. She would not comment further.
At the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, which is investigating the killings and which also participated in Wednesday's search, Assistant Prosecutor Peter Warshaw said, "I am not discussing any part of the investigation."
However, the Prosecutor's Office has maintained since the killing that the crime appears related to financial dealings of Chalem and Lehmann. The pair ran an online business trading in high-risk penny stocks, and promoted stocks on their Web site, which was registered in Panama City, Panama, and operated by an administrator in Budapest, Hungary.
Authorities have theorized that the killer may have lost money in a transaction with the pair or been motivated by revenge. The men were believed to be informers in investigations of the securities industry.
Chalem, who grew up in Englewood Cliffs, was 41. Lehmann was 37.
In Logan's quiet Clifton neighborhood, near the borders of Little Falls and Montclair, neighbors seemed oblivious to the probe.
Clifton police Capt. Thomas Surowiec said his office was notified of the search as a "courtesy" so that his department would not be shocked to see documents hauled off from a home. But he said he had no further details.
Staff Writer Dan Kraut's e-mail address is kraut@bergen.com
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